2 Days 1 Night Trek

Buddy Tours has been running treks out of Chiang Mai since 1993, and this two day program is its classic combination of jungle hiking and time with elephants. It suits people who want one night away from the city without needing to be seasoned hikers.

You are picked up from your hotel or guesthouse between 08:30 and 09:30 and stop at a local market on the way out of town. At the elephant camp you spend about two hours feeding and bathing the elephants, including a mud bath with them. The main hike follows, around three hours through forest to the jungle camp where you spend the night. The camp is simple: a sleeping bag is provided, and so are meals, tea and coffee. On the second day you hike for about another hour, float down the river on a bamboo raft for half an hour, swim at a waterfall and visit a Karen hill tribe village before the drive back, arriving in Chiang Mai at about 17:00.

Four meals are included, plus a guide and porters, a small sleeping bag and a backpack, accident insurance and storage for the luggage you leave behind. Transport for the two and three day treks is by pickup truck. You need to bring a copy of your passport identification page for the insurance. Wear shoes you have walked in before, and pack warm clothes between November and February, when nights in the hills can get close to freezing.